Celtics fight back for OT win at Jazz

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Paul Pierce gets off one of his three shots in OT as DeMarre Carroll defends; he made them all for 7 points in extra time.

By Baxter Holmes
Globe Staff
February 26, 2013

SALT LAKE CITY — A night before, in a different city, Paul Pierce lamented a late loss. The Celtics captain said that his team needed to prepare for the playoffs by learning how to finish out a close game and emerge with a win.

Pierce showed teammates exactly how you do that Monday night by carrying them to a 110-107 overtime win against the Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena.

The win closed out a five-game road trip, on which the Celtics went 2-3. And Pierce said that even entering the game, he knew it would be their toughest game on the trip, because it was coming at the end, when players were mentally and physically exhausted, ready to come off the road, to finally go home.

After missing a shot that could’ve won the game at the end of regulation, Pierce entered overtime — the Celtics’ 10th OT game and 15th OT session this season — on a mission:

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Pierce, who scored 26 points, hit three consecutive shots — a 3-pointer and two straight jumpers — and scored 7 straight points during overtime to carry his team home.

“Usually, in overtime on long road trips, you can just give in,” said Pierce, who made 10 of his 20 shots and added 8 assists and 7 rebounds. “This team just showed tremendous fight, dug in and did what it had to do.”